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In March, Congress passed a sweeping COVID relief bill, the CARES Act. This included provisions that sent direct payments to American families, increased unemployment payments for those out of work, and massive relief for state and local governments.
However, since the beginning of the pandemic, little meaningful legislation has passed to address the economic downturn. The reason? Partisan sniping and gridlock.
House Majority Leader Nancy Pelosi and Senate Minority Leader Chuck Schumer have been insistent on a massive $2 trillion spending plan that Republicans fear could bankrupt the country.
Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell has proposed slimmer bills addressed at targeting specific parts of the economy. He has also favored a liability shield for businesses and schools, seeking to prevent lawsuits over COVID infections to protect school districts and business owners.
However, last week it began to appear as though Congress might reach some kind of compromise. Speaking to reporters, McConnell noted that he and Pelosi “had a good conversation. I think we’re both interested in getting an outcome, both on the omnibus and on a coronavirus package.”
The omnibus McConnell referred to is a massive spending bill required to keep the government operating. Should Congress fail to pass such a measure, it would result in a government shutdown.
Many members of the legislature understand that a government shutdown in the midst of a pandemic and ahead of an exchange of power between presidential administrations would be catastrophic.
The compromise bill on the floor is slimmer than Pelosi and Schumer had hoped and broader than McConnell had proposed. The main sticking points now are Democrats’ demands for more aid to state and local governments and McConnell’s preferred liability shield.
Some Republicans and Democrats alike have decried the lack of another round of direct payments to Americans in the new bill.
In fact, the direct payments could be the aspect of the bill that is most scrutinized by the public. The average person doesn’t keep up with the various policy shifts in Washington, but they do know when they’re been passed over for financial aid that they could sorely use.
Both chambers of Congress are trying to wrap up business for the year by the end of the week. Should they be able to reach a compromise and pass a bill ahead of that deadline, they would be angling the country towards economic recovery as we enter the new year. However, should partisan bickering stop them from compromising, it’s the American people who would suffer.
